Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Hey! It's been a long time coming but I'm here to post a review of Newcastle's Werewolf Blood Red Ale!

I can't tell you how excited I was to see this at the grocery store last week! I was all set to get Magic Hat's "Hex" and then I saw this beaut!

What first drew my eye to this beer was the bright red lettering which said "werewolf". Imagine my surprise when I saw that the beer was manufactured by one of my favorite breweries!

Having been impressed by Guinness's production of a black lager, I was really inspired to see what a brewery known for its brown ale could do with a red....

Before I get into this review I would first like to say that I am by no means a beer connoisseur. I drink it, I enjoy it, but I don't usually spend great volumes of time contemplating or studying it.

However, having been a barista for damn near 4 years I can say that I have experience with the process of tasting and evaluating beverages. That being said, I will review this beer just like I would review any coffee.

BUT before I talk about the beer itself, I would first like to talk about its packaging. I cannot say how impressed I was by the nuanced designs and text on both the carrier and the bottle. I especially enjoyed its origin's explanation as "escaped from Britain". The werewolf featured in the design was very reminiscent of J.K. Rowling's conception of the creature. However, unlike Rowling's werewolf, this one seems much more menacing. Though some might find the scratching motif a bit contrived, I would argue that it was well placed and appropriate for the seasonal nature of the beer.

On to the beer itself!

Appearance: Reddish-brown -a much more rusty color than I am accustomed to.

Smell: Strong smell of rye with a natural sugar smell which could likely be attributed to fruit (not able to discern a specific fruit).

Taste: Very earthy flavor which could almost attributed to peat moss and toasted nuts. Flavor lingers in your mouth with a distinct flavor of rye.

Body: Small amount of foamy head which disappeared in the glass almost halfway throughout the drinking experience. Body felt more akin to a lager than other red ales I've tried.

Finish: Dry and bitter finish with a lingering flavor of rye.

Verdict: Meh. Honestly, I would have preferred a regular ol' Newcastle. The beer wasn't terrible -in fact, it was quite passible. If given the choice, I would definitely choose Werewolf over most mass market American beers e.g., bud, miller. However, when viewed in the context of other amazing seasonal beers which are available right now... well, this werewolf falls flat.